Electrolytic coating apparatus



June l 1926. l 1,587,303

A. H. HART ELECTROLYTIC COATING APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1924 @OVy'frmfllw 1 I I LVL /0 hillml i l;

A TTOH/VEYS Patented June l, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.AUSTIN H. HART, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ROME RDIATIONCOM- PANY, INC., F ROME, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELEGTBOLYTIC COATING APPARATUS. i

applicati mea apra s, 1924. serial No. 704,935.

The invention relates to ap aratlls for electrolytically depositing metaie coatings upon the elements to be coated andmorc particularly toapparatus of this type adapted especially for covering radiator unitswith copper by electro-deposition before said units are assembled into aradiator. In apparatus of the indicated class, the electric currentpassing from the copper anode will travel more readily to the edges ofthe units or other elements than to the surfaces or sides thereof, sothat the units or other elements would, under normal circumstances andwith a strong current, have deposited around their edges much morecopper than on their surfaces or sides. The object of the presentinvention is to provide a simple andv novel arrangement whereby an evendeposition of copper over the entire exterior oit the unit or otherelement is secured and whereby high current density at the edges is avoied and the thickening of the deposit thereon is .prevented in aneilicient manner. Gther more specific objects of the invention willappear from the description hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which show an example of the inventionwithout defining its limits, Fig. 1 is a cross-section of the electriccoating apparatus and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section thereof on theline l---Q of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings the apparatus comprises a deposition tank 5 ofsuitable material and dimensions and arranged to contain the customaryelectrolytical bath adapted for the purpose at hand. One or morenegative rods 6 are supported above said tank and extend transverselyacross the same as shown in Fig. 1; a strip 7 serves to support one endof said rod or rods 6i, the other end thereof extending over a negativebar 8 and being maintained in contact thereby by means of resilientdevices shown at 9 in Fig. 1. Both the -strip 7 andthe bar 8 extendlengthwise of the tank 5, the bar 8 being in electrical connection withthe negative pole of a source of electricity in any conventional manner.Supporting devices 10 are fixed upon the rod 6 at suitably spacedintervals for suspending therefrom the elements to be coated in theelectrolytic bath of the tank 5; in the illustrated exam le theseelements are radiator units 11 inten ed to be copper-covered beforebeing assembled into aradiator.

Positive rods and 13 are mounted above the tank 5. and are sup orted atone end upon a strip 14 and at tie other cud upon a positive bar 15which is in electrical con-4 consist in providing channeled shrouds 18yof U-shape and consisting of upright members a arranged to extendarallel with the vertical or side edges of yt e units 11 and horizontalconnecting members b extending parallel with the lower edges thereof.The shrouds 18 are suspended from strips 19 suitably 'ixed in the tank 5and in turn serve' to sup-port transverse shrouds 20, also channeled,which extend parallel with the upper edges of the units 11; the shrouds18 and 19 are made of any suitable acid resisting dielectric materialand are of such dimensions and so arranged as to be spaced from theunits 11 to a predetermined extent.

These shrouds 18 and 20 avoid a high current density at the edges of theunit and thereby prevent an uneven and thickened deposit at said ed esand bring about an even deposition of t e copper over the entireexterior of the units 11. The thickness of the deposit along the edgesof said units can be regulated by adjusting or constructing the shroudsin a manner to diminish or enlarge the distance between the edges of theshrouds and the units and by causing said shrouds to extend over thelatter to a larger or smaller extent; the greater the distance betweenthe edges of the shrouds and the units and the -less the latter rojectinto said shrouds the reater will e the amount of copper deposited onsaid edges.

The arrangement is simple in construction land installation andefficient in operation and may be uniformly used wherever a tendency toproduce an uneven electrolytic deposit of metals upon given portions ofan element exists. The improvement is particularly adapted for use inelectroplating radiator units with copper. v

.Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be madewithin the scope of. the claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim:

1. In an electrolytical a paratus for the electro-deposition of a metalic coating comvbe coated in said bat means for suspending a cathode andan anode therein, and adjustable inde endent channelled membersenclosing t e peripheries of said elements adapted to regulate thedeposition of metal `upon said peripheries.

3. In an clectrolytical apparatus for the electro-deposition of ametallic coating com rising a tank containing an electrolytic ath, meansfor suspending the elements to be coated in said bath, means for susendin a cathode and an anode therein, BJI-)shape shrouds havingchanneled members extending parallel with portions of the peripheries ofsaid elements and channeled, transverse `shrouds extending parallel withother p0rtions of said peripheries to re late the deposition of metalupon said perlpheries.

4. In an electrolyt1cal apparatus for the electro-deposition of ametallic coating comprising a tank containing an electrolytic ath, anegative rod for suspending a substantially rectangular radiator unit insaid bath, positive rods upon opposite sides of said negative rod forrespectively suspending a cathode and a copper anode in said bath uponopposite sides of said unit, a U- sha ed channeled shroud extendingparallel to t e vertical and lower edges of said unit at predetermineddistances and a channeled transverse' shroud bridgin said U-shapedshroud and extending para lel to the upper edge of said unit at apredetermined distance, said shrouds being of acid resisting anddielective material and arranged to regllate the deposition of copperupon said ges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AUSTIN H. HART.

